System and method for configuring adapters in a computer system

Abstract

A computer system with an Intelligent Input/Output architecture having a plug-and-play control mechanism for assigning and controlling one or more adapters. The computer system comprises at least one host processor for executing a host operating system, the host processor disposed on a host bus, an input/output (I/O) bus operably coupled to the host bus via a host-to-bus bridge, and a plurality of peripheral devices or adapters operably connected to the I/O bus for transferring data in I/O transactions controlled by an IOP resource. Initially, a selected adapter is defaulted to an “assigned” state without changing the interrupt routing associated with the adapter. Upon detecting the presence of a driver module that is executable on the IOP, the assigned adapter is marked as “controlled” and the interrupt routing is configured to deliver interrupts to the IOP. Subsequently, the controlled adapter is rendered “hidden” from the host operating system.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for managing one or more adapters in a computer system comprising a host processor and an Input/Output Processor (IOP), comprising the steps of: 
       defaulting to a condition, upon system initialization, wherein a selected one of said one or more adapters is treated as “assigned” and wherein the computer system is not configured to route interrupts from the selected adapter to the IOP;  
       detecting the presence of an executable driver object associated with the selected adapter; and  
       marking the selected adapter as “controlled,” based on the detecting step, such that the selected adapter is controlled by the IOP, wherein the computer system is configured to route interrupts from the selected adapter to the IOP.  
     
     
       2. The method as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the selected adapter is hidden from the host processor. 
     
     
       3. The method as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the selected adapter is disposed on a bus segment located in front of the IOP. 
     
     
       4. The method as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the selected adapter is disposed on a bus segment located behind the IOP. 
     
     
       5. The method as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the selected adapter comprises an adapter located on a peer-level I/O bus. 
     
     
       6. The method as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the step of defaulting comprises the step of setting a marker associated with the selected adapter to indicate that it is “assigned.” 
     
     
       7. A system for managing one or more adapters in a computer having a host processor and an Input/Output Processor (IOP), comprising: 
       means for defaulting to an “assigned” condition pertaining to a selected one of the one or more adapters without routing interrupts from the selected one of the one or more adapters to the IOP;  
       nonvolatile means for storing a plurality of conditions associated with the one or more adapters, the plurality of conditions comprising the “assigned” condition, which condition is identified by the contents of a portion of the nonvolatile means;  
       detecting means for detecting the presence of an executable driver object associated with the adapter; and  
       means for marking the selected adapter as “controlled” when the executable driver object is detected, such that the selected adapter is controlled by the IOP and for routing interrupts from the selected adapter to the IOP.  
     
     
       8. The system as set forth in claim  7 , wherein the selected adapter is disposed on a bus segment located in front of the IOP. 
     
     
       9. The system as set forth in claim  7 , wherein the selected adapter is disposed on a bus segment located behind the IOP. 
     
     
       10. The system as set forth in claim  7 , wherein the selected adapter comprises an adapter located on a peer-level I/O bus. 
     
     
       11. A plug-and-play method for assigning and controlling one or more adapters in a computer system, which computer system includes a host processor, an IOP, and an I/O bus associated with one or more slots, the slots being associated with the adapters, the method comprising: 
       defaulting to an “assigned” condition with respect to the one or more slots upon system initialization;  
       determining if there is an adapter located at a selected one of the one or more slots;  
       determining if a driver module is available for the adapter, the driver module adapted to be executable on the IOP;  
       marking the adapter as “controlled” if the driver module is determined to be available; and  
       configuring the computer system such that interrupts associated with the adapter are routed to the IOP.  
     
     
       12. The method as set forth in claim  11 , wherein the selected adapter is hidden from the host processor. 
     
     
       13. The method as set forth in claim  11 , wherein the I/O bus comprises a primary-side I/O bus and the selected slot comprises a primary-side slot. 
     
     
       14. The method as set forth in claim  11 , wherein the I/O bus comprises a secondary-side I/O bus and the selected slot comprises a secondary-side slot. 
     
     
       15. The method as set forth in claim  11 , wherein the I/O bus comprises a peer-level I/O bus and the selected slot comprises a peer-level slot. 
     
     
       16. A method for managing an adapter in a computer system comprising a host processor and Input/Output Processor (IOP), comprising the acts of: 
       (a) assigning the adapter to the IOP without routing interrupts from the adapter to the IOP or to the host processor;  
       (b) determining whether the IOP comprises an executable driver associated with the adapter; and  
       (c) if the IOP comprises an executable driver associated with the adapter, routing interrupts from the adapter to the IOP.  
     
     
       17. The method of claim  16 , wherein act (a) comprises the step of marking in memory that the adapter is assigned. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim  16 , comprising the act of: 
       if the IOP does not comprise an executable driver associated with the adapter, the adapter is placed in an unassigned state.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim  18 , comprising the act of: 
       if the host processor comprises an executable driver associated with the adapter, routing interrupts from the adapter to the host processor.  
     
     
       20. The method of claim  16 , wherein if the IOP comprises an executable driver associated with the adapter, the adapter is hidden from the host processor. 
     
     
       21. A system for configuring an adapter in a computer having a host processor and an Input/Output Processor (IOP), the IOP having memory, comprising: 
       an operating system stored in the memory; and  
       status information stored in the IOP and readable by the host processor,  
       wherein upon initialization of the computer, the operating system sets the status information to read that the adapter is assigned to the IOP if in the memory there exists a driver module associated with the adapter and to read that the adapter is not assigned to the IOP if in the memory there does not exist a driver module associated with the adapter.  
     
     
       22. The system of claim  21 , wherein the operating system configures the computer to route interrupts from the adapter to the IOP if in the memory there exists a driver module associated with the adapter. 
     
     
       23. The system of claim  21 , wherein the operating system configures the computer to route interrupts from the adapter to the host if in the memory there does not exist a driver module associated with the adapter. 
     
     
       24. The system of claim  21 , wherein the memory comprises non-volatile memory.